The Cradle Will Fall
by Aleisha Potter
Summary: Sequel to "Bough Breaks": Life goes on for the Winchesters, though a much more domestic life than either brother ever thought, but the looming threat of Eve still hangs over the weird family they've managed to form... when Mother turns her attention to...
1. Chapter 1

**Title: The Cradle Will Fall, 1/?****  
><strong>Author: Connie and Cassen<strong>  
><strong>Pairing: SamGabriel, Dean/Castiel**  
><strong>Rating: NC-17<strong>  
><strong>Summary: Sequel to "When the Bough Breaks", recommend reading that first, this will make more sense. Life goes on for the Winchesters, though a much more domestic life than either brother ever thought, but the looming threat of Eve still hangs over the weird family they've managed to form. When the Mother turns her attentions to Sam and his... unique genetic makeup, things go downhill, fast.<strong>  
><strong>Warnings: angst, slash, sexual content, language, mpreg, fledgling!fic, some graphic medical scenes, lots of blood, hurt!sam, more blood... have we mentioned the blood?<strong>**

**The Cradle Will Fall**

**Part One**

Sam moaned into his pillow as Gabriel pounded into him from behind. The slow build of his orgasm wiped his mind of all other thoughts, thoughts like how they ended up in this situation and where this whole... mess was going.

The Archangel's movements pulled Sam closer and closer to climax.

"God, fuck," Sam bit out when the angel's cock slammed perfectly into his prostate.

"You know," came the other man's wrecked voice, "I don't bring up John Winchester when we're together, think you could refrain from bringing my Father into this?"

Sam winced. He hadn't really thought of that, and he knew that word had slipped out a time or two during their trysts. He'd have to watch his mouth from now on.

"Sorry," he apologized.

Gabriel's thrusts turned frantic and Sam knew he was close. He wasn't far off himself. He felt the Archangel slip a hand underneath him to grasp his cock and it was all over. Sam grunted as he coated the other man's hand and the bedspread with cum.

"Sam," Gabriel moaned and Sam felt a warmth spread inside of him, letting him know the angel had gotten off as well.

He expected the other man to pull out and flutter off like he always did, but instead, the Archangel collapsed onto Sam's back, his breathing far too steady for someone who had just gone through a marathon fuck like they had.

Sam's whole body ached in a wonderful way and he couldn't stay awake long enough to wonder why the angel was still there. He drifted off to sleep to the feel of a hand gently caressing his naked back.

* * *

><p>Sam woke up some time later, expecting to be alone, as was usual, but was surprised to feel a warm body curled up against his back. He turned his head slightly and met serious golden eyes.<p>

"Gabriel?" he asked.

"It wasn't fair," the Archangel told him, speaking quietly into the darkness. "They all Fell for their... _transgressions, _all of them except for me. I had a job to do still, He told me. Yeah, like that should have saved me from the same fate my brothers faced," Gabriel told him, voice full of regret and pain.

Sam rolled over to face the other man, realizing his lover was finally opening up a little about his past.

"My son... David, he... he was innocent. It wasn't his fault that I couldn't stand up to my Dad, but it didn't matter. Eve swooped in and that's all it took.

"You and Dean were right," he told Sam. "I'm a coward. I was afraid of losing my place, the power that came with being God's Hand of Justice. My son paid the price for my pride."

Sam opened his mouth to offer some kind of condolence, but Gabriel cut him off.

"You know, the whole time I was playing pagan, I could still hear the Host. I heard them after Lucifer rose. They mocked Castiel, calling him weak, pathetic, but they couldn't see that he was the strongest of us all.

"He chose humanity over Heaven, Dean over Michael. He did what he thought was right, by following his heart, and lo and behold, Daddy rewarded him for it."

"Gabriel," Sam started once again.

"Sam, don't. You wanted me to talk, I'm talking, but I don't want to _discuss _it."

Sam sighed but reached out for the Archangel regardless. He pulled the shorter man closer to him, noticing how the angel tensed at the movement.

"Fine. We won't talk, but seriously, Gabriel, one day, when you're ready, I'm here."

"In the words of your numbskull brother, 'No chick flick moments.'"

Sam snorted out a laugh. He squeezed the angel's hip reassuringly.

Gabriel's smirk slowly slid off his face, leaving a sad, wistful expression in his eyes. Before Sam could process what the Archangel might be thinking, Gabriel leaned over, and for the first time since they started... this, he pressed his lips against Sam's.

The hunter was caught off guard, but it didn't take long to get with the picture. He passionately kissed the other man back, letting his tongue delve into never before discovered depths. Gabriel tasted of sweets and something Sam couldn't place. Whatever it was, he couldn't get enough of it.

The Archangel eventually pulled back, ending the kiss. The other man's lips were swollen and glistening and Sam wanted nothing more than to lean in and continue their kiss but Gabriel had other ideas.

"Sleep tight, Sammy," he whispered and pressed two fingers against Sam's forehead. The hunter slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>Sam glanced around the room. He realized he was still at Bobby's immediately before realizing he was dreaming again. His dreams hadn't tapered off in the last six months, if anything they had gotten worse.<p>

They always featured the same little girl, at different ages and stages, but it was always _her._

Sam was no closer to figuring out who she was, but he was pretty sure she was related to him... possibly even his daughter, though that thought sent cold shivers through his body.

The dreams featured a myriad of other characters, the most prominent being his brother, Cas or Daniel, but there was another constant: a woman he didn't recognize, someone he's sure he's never met before.

This time, he found himself in his bedroom, but the décor had changed. For one, there was a crib in the corner, one he _knew_ didn't occupy his room during his waking hours.

Sam carefully walked over to the crib and glanced inside. It was empty. He was confused for a moment but then he heard light humming from the other side of the room.

His head snapped around and his gaze landed on the mystery woman. She was sitting in a rocking chair, humming softly as she rocked a small, pink swaddled bundle. Sam walked over to the pair, expecting to be ignored like he usually was in his dreams, but was shocked when the woman's eyes snapped up to meet his. Glittering, knowing brown orbs met his hazel ones causing him to freeze.

"Shhh... don't want to wake her, Sammy."

"Who are you?" he demanded, desperate for any answers he could glean from this encounter.

Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

"I think you might already know that," was her cryptic answer. Sam started to demand more of an answer but a small snuffling sound caught his attention.

He glanced down at the bundle the mystery woman was rocking. Curious hazel eyes, so like his own, stared up at him.

"Who is _she_, then?" he found himself blurting out.

"Oh, Sammy, you're smarter than this, I know it. Use your brain. Who do you think she is?"

Sam glanced down once more at the tiny baby the woman held.

"Daddy's being stupid again, too much time with those icky angels, dulls the brain."

Sam's heart lurched at her words.

"Why so surprised, Sam? You'd already figured it out, I know you knew... deep down, who she was."

Sam tried to think of something to say, but his mind was circling around that word, _Daddy._

The snuffling sound was escalating into flat out crying. The mystery woman's attention left Sam so she could focus on the baby in her arms.

"Ahhh, Baby Girl, are you hungry?" she asked softly. He watched the woman hold out a hand and a bottle materialized from out of thin air. Sam was startled to see it pop out of nowhere, but the feeling quickly faded into horror when he realized the bottle was not filled with formula, but rather a thick, red viscous substance. His stomach rebelled at the sight.

"What is that?" he demanded.

"What do you think, Sam? She has to keep her strength up, yes? We want her to be strong like Daddy, don't we?"

Sam watched in horror as the mystery woman slipped the nipple into the tiny searching mouth.

* * *

><p>Sam woke with a start, panting harshly and searching the room for any sign that something wasn't right. His stomach was rebelling and he could feel a deep ache inside, a yearning... a craving he hadn't felt in a long time.<p>

His whole body was shaking and he was afraid to get up, afraid he'd walk out that door and do something he'd regret, something he couldn't take back. A part of him wanted to call out for Dean, but he was too ashamed. He couldn't bear to see the disappointment he was sure to find in his brother's eyes if he told him.

"Gabriel," he whispered, not knowing who else to turn to. The Archangel had left some time while he slept, but he'd always promised he was just a prayer away.

A familiar fluttering sound drew Sam's attention to the foot of his bed.

"Miss me already, Sammy," the other man asked, a smirk evident in his voice even if Sam couldn't see his face.

Sam opened his mouth to explain when a shudder shook his body, trapping the words inside.

"Sam?" Gabriel asked, all signs of amusement gone from his voice.

Sam tried again to speak but ended up rolling over to the side of his bed and emptying his stomach into the small trashcan he kept there.

"Sam?" Gabriel called out again, worry evident in his tone.

"Not again," Sam whimpered as the craving ache deep in his stomach started again. He felt the bed dip behind him as a cool hand was placed on his forehead. He immediately felt the nausea recede along with some of the craving.

"Shhh... Sam, it's okay," Gabriel whispered as he pulled the taller man back against him. Sam was still shaking. He couldn't make the shakes stop.

He felt Gabriel's hand against his forehead again as the angel whispered for him to sleep.

"Don't wanna dream," he mumbled, fighting unconsciousness with every fiber of his being.

"You won't, I promise," the angel assured him. With that, Sam let the darkness take him.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Cradle Will Fall**

**Part Two**

When Sam woke next, it was morning and the sun was softly leaking through the threadbare curtains that covered the window of his room. Gabriel lay next to him, awake and watchful.

"How are you feeling?" the Archangel asked seriously, not a hint of laughter in his voice.

"Okay," Sam answered honestly. "Much better, really. Thank you."

"You wanna tell me what last night's drama was about?" he asked, eyes boring into the hunter.

Sam sighed. He should have known an interrogation was on the agenda after calling the angel the way he did.

"Nothing, really. I've just been having these dreams. Not that unusual for _me _but last night's was... pretty intense," he explained.

"Intense? Sam, you were a mess. There was a... dark taint all around you. The whole room reeked of it."

The angel stared at him. He could see a battle raging behind his golden eyes, as if he wasn't sure if he should ask his next question.

"Sam, what have you been getting into?"

"Nothing! I swear," the hunter spit out vehemently when the other man asked the one question he knew Dean would demand if he was honest with his brother. He had hoped the Archangel wouldn't have jumped to the same conclusion. "You don't believe me? Read my mind."

Gabriel stared at him silently for a minute before answering.

"No, Sam, I trust you. The hint of darkness I could sense last night is gone now. If you were dabbling in that mess again, it would still be on you."

Sam slumped in relief. He didn't realize how much Gabriel's trust meant to him until that moment.

"How long have you been having dreams like these?"

"Since Daniel was born," Sam admitted with a sigh.

"Six months! Sam, why the hell didn't you tell anyone?" the angel demanded.

"I did tell someone! I just didn't tell _you_," Sam bit out, annoyed at being treated like a child. He watched as a hurt expression flashed across Gabriel's face.

"You should get up, get a shower. Cas and your brother are running over to Michigan to deal with a Shtriga, we're on babysitting duty," Gabriel reminded him, voice tight and emotionless.

"Gabe, I'm sorry. It's not... I mean, I wasn't keeping it from you. I didn't even _tell _Dean really, he just sorta figured it out. I don't want to talk about it. I keep thinking they'll go away."

"And if they don't? What if they mean something? What if they're a warning?"

"That's what I'm afraid of," Sam muttered. "Look, I'll talk to Dean, will that make you happy?"

The Archangel stared at him for a minute, all traces of the mischievous Trickster gone from his demeanor.

"You could talk to me," he told the hunter quietly.

Sam was surprised. Until last night, they'd had a pretty strict no talking rule when it came to... whatever it was they were doing.

"Okay. Yeah, I mean, whatever you want to know, I'll try to tell you. I need a shower first, though. Are you headed downstairs?"

"Nah, I'm gonna pop out for awhile. I'll be back before they leave. Then we'll talk."

"Oh. Okay. I'll see ya then."

"Call me, if something isn't right," the angel ordered before fluttering off.

* * *

><p>Dean slowly woke up to a warm weight on his chest and a hand wrapped tight around his cock. Cas was languidly stroking his erection, seeming content to keep the pace easy and light.<p>

"Hmmm... this is a nice way to wake up," Dean commented, turning his head to seek out the angel's lips.

The last six months had been some of the best times he ever remembered. Cas had really embraced being a dad and living the mortal life. Unlike the last time the angel had gone native, this time he retained all of his power and occasionally made trips up to Heaven. That came in really handy with their hunting career that they had kept very much alive.

They went in shifts, always leaving at least two people home with Daniel. It was different, but it worked, and the best part? Dean was happy.

Cas pulled back from the sweet kiss and smirked at the hunter.

"I was wondering how long I would have to keep this up before you woke," his partner told him, increasing the pressure on his strokes.

"If you wanted me awake, there are much easier ways."

"But none that are as enjoyable as this."

Dean couldn't help smiling. Cas had definitely embraced the physical side of their relationship over the last few months. His angel could get pretty creative in the sack.

Unfortunately, Dean was pretty sure they didn't have time for much this morning. Daniel usually woke up with the rising of the sun. It had to be some weird kind of Karma that cursed Dean with a house full of early risers. Cas seemed to read his mind.

"I'll be quick," he offered before slipping down and swallowing Dean's cock in one go.

"Fuck, Cas!" Dean hissed, feeling the head of his dick hitting the back of the angel's throat. The other man's hand came up to caress his heavy sack. Dean watched, mesmerized as the angel's head bobbed up and down his erection. He moaned when Cas's tongue circled the head, his own hands falling onto the dark head moving over him.

Cas hummed as he lightly squeezed Dean's balls and the hunter was gone.

"Shit," Dean whispered as he spilled down the other man's throat. After Cas pulled off, Dean pulled the angel up and smashed their lips together. The shorter man frantically rubbed his leaking cock against Dean's hip. The hunter reached down and grasped the hard dick and Cas was coming, stripe after stripe wetting Dean's side and stomach.

As they both panted in the aftermath of their orgasms, a little voice caught Dean's attention.

"Dada?" Daniel called out from his crib.

"We really should look at getting him his own room," Dean muttered, knowing it was something they had talked about but couldn't figure out how to pull it off.

"Yes, we really should," Cas agreed, standing up, somehow completely clothed once more. The angel walked over to Daniel's crib and picked up their son. Dean reached over for his boxers that Cas had mojo'd off of him earlier. Slipping them on, he threw the covers back and stood up to give Danny his good morning kisses and snuggles, thankful that Cas had zapped them both clean.

"Hey, buddy," Dean greeted their little boy. Daniel was only six months old, but he looked and acted somewhere between a year and eighteen months old. He was already saying quite a few words and had been trying to take a few steps. He was growing up way too fast.

"Dada!" Daniel squealed, little arms reaching out for the hunter.

"Papa and I have a little trip to take today. You gonna have fun with Uncle Sammy and Uncle Gabe today?" Dean asked his son.

The little boy smiled brightly at his question.

"Sa sa an' Gab," Daniel said, clapping his chubby little hands.

"Yup," Dean agreed, smile firmly in place as he sat Daniel down on their bed so he could get dressed. He glanced up and met Cas's eyes. The angel's blue orbs sparkled with happiness. Yep, Dean would have to say he loved his life. He staunchly ignored that niggling doubt in the back of his mind that said it couldn't last. He'd fight tooth and nail to make sure it did.

* * *

><p>Sam was fixing himself a bowel of cereal when Cas, Dean and Daniel came down to the kitchen. He watched his brother set Danny down in the highchair before offering the baby some Cheerios from the box he still held. When Daniel bounced in his chair and clapped his hands, Sam took that to mean yes.<p>

His brother walked over to the old fridge and pulled out the milk, fixing Danny a sippy cup. Sam smiled at the domesticness of it. He used to think they couldn't have both, the white picket fence life and the hunter life, but Dean and Cas were proving him wrong and he was happy about it.

"You guys got everything ready?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. Packed up a bag last night. We're going via angel express, so don't really need to do anything with the Impala," Dean answered.

"Great. You guys think you'll be back by tonight?"

"I don't expect it to take longer than one day," Cas replied. Sam glanced at his brother and found him blushing.

"Uh... actually, would it be too much trouble to watch Danny until tomorrow?" his brother asked.

Cas looked up, confusion evident on his face.

"Dean? It won't take..."

"Sure. Not a problem," Sam answered, cutting the angel off. Dean obviously had plans for tonight that had nothing to do with hunting.

Dean gave him a relieved smile. Sam knew Cas and his brother were strapped for alone time, what with Daniel still sharing their room and all, but really, where else could they put him? Bobby only had so much room and they were currently taking up every spare inch of it.

"Just take a break tonight, guys. Danny and I'll be fine, won't we bud?"

"Hey, does that mean I'm not invited to this party?" Gabriel's voice sounded directly behind him. He could feel the angel's breath puffing on his neck with every word.

Sam was embarrassed to realize his body was starting to respond to the nearness of the Archangel. He nonchalantly moved away from the other man, willing his body to behave.

He hadn't seen any reason to let his brother in on the change in his and Gabriel's... _friendship _and wasn't about to get into it now. He didn't think it was any of Dean's business who he was screwing. It wasn't like they were in a relationship or anything. They were just fucking around and Dean didn't need to know about that.

"Gab!" Daniel called out excitedly.

"Hey, Munchkin! Ready to have fun while Daddy and Papa are working?" the shorter man asked, huge smile firmly in place.

"Fun! Ticks?" the little boy asked.

"Tricks? Seriously, Gabe? Tell me you aren't teaching him how to play pranks on people," Dean asked, trying to hide the grin on his face.

"Would he be your son if he didn't get into a little mischief every now and then?" Gabriel asked innocently.

"Just nothing too... gory," Dean warned.

"Hey. Who do you think I am?" the ex-Trickster asked.

Dean just raised an eyebrow. Gabriel shrugged.

"Point taken," the angel conceded.

"We really should be leaving," Cas pointed out. Dean sighed then leaned over to give Daniel a kiss on his dark head.

"Alright. Be good, Buddy."

"Be careful, Dean. Call us if you need backup," Sam told his brother, clasping a hand on his shoulder.

"Will do. Watch him around my kid," Dean warned but there was no heat in his words or the gaze he shot the other angel.

"You know I will."

With one final kiss and hug for Daniel, Dean and Cas headed out. With a flutter of wings, the hunter and the angel were gone.

"So, how long will the lovebirds be gone for?" Gabriel asked, sitting down next to his nephew and turning his Cheerios into random shapes.

"They're staying the night. Think they need some alone time," Sam told him.

Gabriel leered at him.

"I bet they do. Bobby out?"

"Yeah. He's in Mississippi looking into a vamp nest. At least, we think they're vamps. There's been some pretty odd stuff going on lately."

"I know. I think it's Eve. We think she's calling all her monsters to her. No idea why though."

"Yeah, we were kinda guessing she might be behind it somehow."

"How's your head?" Gabriel asked, changing the subject.

"Better. Just a minor headache now."

"I can ward your dreams tonight and tomorrow I'll look for something more permanent."

Sam thought about that for a moment. A part of him was relieved at the chance to have a peaceful nights sleep and not have to deal with the mystery woman, but a part of him was sad to not see the little girl again.

"You're staying the night?" he asked, trying to get his mind off brown hair and hazel eyes, so innocent and trusting.

"Duh. You think I'd leave you alone with Daniel while whatever is going on inside your head?"

Sam's heart sunk. Of course, Daniel. He should be the most important issue, but for a minute Sam had thought Gabriel was staying for _him._ He needed to stop thinking like that, it wasn't part of their arrangement.

"Right, thanks," Sam told the Archangel, a small tight smile on his face.

"Hey, we'll figure it out, Sammy, I promise."

"Yeah," Sam replied, turning back to his now soggy cereal.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Cradle Will Fall**

**Part Three**

Sam was sitting on the couch, watching Daniel play on the floor while Gabriel was sitting in Bobby's old recliner reading the _National Enquirer._ He had to laugh at that. Apparently you could take the Archangel out of the Trickster, but you couldn't take the Trickster out of the Archangel.

They'd had a pretty un-eventful day. Sam had rented some cartoons and the three of them had crashed in the living room to watch. They'd had sandwiches for lunch and Sam had just finished feeding Danny some macaroni for dinner. He was letting the little guy play for a few minutes before he took him upstairs for his bedtime bath.

"Did you have anything planned for dinner?" Gabriel asked, surprising him.

"Uh, no, not really."

"Want me to pop out and get something?" the angel offered. Sam glanced at the other man. He seemed nervous, as if wasn't sure how his offer would be taken.

"Yeah, sure. That'd be great. All we have here are leftovers," Sam told him, hoping to ease the other man's worry.

"Alright," he replied, placing his magazine down on the cluttered coffee table. "You take care of the munchkin and I'll take care of dinner."

Gabriel stood up and went over to scoop Daniel up. He gave him an exaggerated kiss that made Danny laugh and Sam smile.

"Night, night, Buddy," the Archangel told his nephew.

"Nigh' nigh', Gab," the little guy responded.

Gabriel handed Daniel over to Sam before fluttering away.

It was times like these that Sam's heart ached for the chance that Gabriel had had taken away from him. He would have been a good father.

Sam hefted Daniel up higher in his arms and turned towards the stairs. Bath time. Always a fun time.

* * *

><p>When Sam came down from tucking his nephew in for the night, he was met with an amazing smell. He recognized garlic and oregano right off the bat, but couldn't place the plethora of scents that accompanied those two.<p>

He walked into the kitchen and found Gabriel setting the table, the normal, mortal way. There were several takeout boxes on the cabinet. It was heartwarmingly domestic. Sam thought the yearning for a life like this was gone, but the last few months, it had turned everything upside down and made that yearning so much stronger.

"Need any help?" Sam asked. Gabriel glanced up from his task.

"Sure. Why don't you start moving the food over to the table?" the Archangel asked. Sam nodded and picked up two of the boxes. He set them on the table and popped open the tops. Inside one was a huge helping of some kind of pasta. The other held... well, Sam wasn't sure but it smelled good and he was pretty sure it was an Italian dish.

"Oohh, did you go to _Leonardo's _downtown?" Sam asked. He loved Italian and _Leonardo's _had the best Sioux Falls had to offer. He watched the angel smirk confidently.

"Nope. This is from _Venezia_."

Sam paused at that.

"Venice? As in, Italy? You went all the way to _Italy _for dinner?" Sam asked, completely taken by surprise.

"Hello? Archangel. Why have that kind of power if you can't use it?" Gabriel asked. "Besides... Italian is your favorite, right?"

Sam was touched by the gesture. There were days he just didn't know how to take Gabriel's actions. Today was one of those days.

"Thanks," the hunter told him with a smile. He continued to move food over to the table and by the time he'd finished his chore, Gabriel had the table decked out in a very romantic setting. He'd even brought wine. Sam wondered if he was being seduced. Though why Gabriel would go to all this trouble was beyond him. He'd never needed to be wined and dined before.

"This looks amazing, Gabriel. You really didn't have to do all this. Pizza would have been fine."

"Yeah, but pizza isn't special. Pizza is everyday boring. Since when have I been into boring?" the shorter man asked. Sam couldn't argue with that.

The two men dug into the food set out before them. Sam had to admit, it was some of the best pasta he'd ever had. The wine was surprisingly good, though that shouldn't surprise him. Gabriel never half-assed anything.

"That was amazing," he praised the angel. Gabriel beamed. "Thank you."

"Well, I thought you'd enjoy it," Gabriel told him. The shorter man snapped his fingers and the mess in the kitchen disappeared. Sam raised an eyebrow at the angel.

"What? Perks of being an Archangel, no messy clean up."

Sam couldn't help but laugh at that. He glanced at the clock and realized it was getting late. He was tired after last night's debacle but he was also afraid of going to sleep again. Gabriel must have known what he was thinking because he got up and walked over to stand over Sam.

"I'm staying tonight. I'll ward your dreams," he assured the taller man. Sam nodded in response. "Now, why don't we head upstairs? If you feel up to it, you can explain a bit more about what's been going on and we can try to figure out who or what is screwing with your head."

Sam thought that was a good idea. He really would rather explain all this to Gabriel than Dean. He offered to meet the other man back in his room once he'd finished his nighttime routine. With a nod, the angel winked out.

* * *

><p>When Sam walked into his room, Gabriel was already lying in the bed, naked at least from the waist up. Sam lost his undershirt and crawled into the bed, still clad in his boxers.<p>

Once he was situated, Gabriel leaned over and pressed two fingers against Sam's forehead. The hunter felt a warmth settle over him and for the first night in almost six months, he felt at peace.

"Thank you," he told the angel sincerely.

"No problem, Sammy. Now, what exactly has been going on?" Sam still found it weird when the ex-Trickster would turn serious. It really didn't seem to fit him. Taking a deep breath, Sam tried to explain his dreams.

"I don't know, exactly. It started the night Daniel hatched. Every few nights or so, I dream. Sometimes they're just that, dreams. Other nights, a woman appears. She has long, dark brown hair and brown eyes. Maybe in her mid-twenties? I don't know who she is, though she seems to think I should, and she never offers a name. It's the dreams that she's in that affect me like last night. Though the intense craving was new.

"There's also a little girl. I think... I think she's my daughter," he finally admitted out loud. Gabriel's shocked gaze snapped up to meet his.

"You have a daughter?"

"No. At least, not that I know of... or not yet, I don't know which it is. The timeline in the dreams is never fluid. Sometimes it's the future and she looks to be the same age as Danny, but that doesn't tell me much because Daniel ages differently than human children," he explained. "I... there's a lot that happened during that year without my soul. The memories still aren't all that clear; it's possible I wasn't all that careful. I could have a little girl out there," he told the angel, heart aching at the thought of his daughter out there somewhere, not knowing her father. Gabriel was quiet. Finally, the Archangel spoke, his tone off.

"Maybe she's not here, yet. Maybe the woman is the mother of your daughter." Sam's blood ran cold at that thought.

"Gabriel... she was feeding the baby demon blood. How could she if..? I mean, would I have a child with someone like that?" he asked, voicing questions that had been plaguing him since he'd had the last dream. "And what's up with the cravings? What's happening to me?" he asked Gabriel, embarrassed at the fear that came out in his voice.

"I don't know, but we'll figure it out. No one is going to hurt you or your daughter, I promise."

Sam nodded and pulled the shorter man tight against him. He felt Gabriel tense for just a minute before relaxing against his larger body.

"Sleep, Sam," he ordered. "You won't dream tonight."

Sam felt his eyes grow heavy. He leaned over and pressed a light kiss to the other man's temple before darkness took him.

* * *

><p>Dean walked into the hotel room they'd booked for the night. Their hunt had gone way too easy for his comfort, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. It meant a nice, peaceful, kid-free night with his angel, he'd take it.<p>

"Dean, we're done here. I don't understand why we aren't returning home," Cas told him, walking up to the taller hunter.

"We're not going home because we don't have to. Sammy can handle Daniel for one night and, as much as I love my son, I'd like _one _night with just you," Dean explained, grabbing Cas's hips and pulling the angel in closer. "I'm tired of having to be quiet. And, I thought, maybe if you didn't have anything to focus on, you might be ready to let me fuck you again," he admitted. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy what they did or that he didn't enjoy letting Cas top, but he had to be honest, he really missed being inside of the other man.

Cas's eyed flashed fear but he seemed to steel himself.

"I think I would enjoy that very much," Cas told him, voice low and gravelly. It sent shivers down Dean's spine. The angel pressed his lips against the hunter's and guided the taller man back towards the bed. When Dean's knees hit the edge of the bed, Cas pulled back. He blinked and both men were completely naked. Being with an angel definitely had its perks.

Dean sat down on the bed and pulled the angel down next to him. He attacked the other man's mouth as he lowered him down onto the bed. Grabbing his lover's cock, he stroked him to full hardness while he explored every inch of the other man's mouth. Cas moaned into the kiss and rocked his hips into the strokes.

Dean didn't think he could take his time this first go around; there'd be time for slow and sweet later. Right now, he needed to be buried inside his partner, it had been so long.

Cas held out a tube of lube he must have mojo'd into existence and Dean loved him just a little bit more for that.

The hunter slicked up his fingers and moved down so he was even with the angel's hips. He took the now leaking cock into his mouth as he slid one finger into Cas's tight entrance. His angel moaned at the intrusion. Dean swirled and sucked on the dick in his mouth as he stretched his lover open. Cas was so freaking tight, Dean was throbbing to get inside him.

When Dean was able to easily pump three fingers into his partner, he decided it was enough. He wasn't going to last much longer. Cas was panting on the bed, dick swollen and leaking. He took that as a good sign.

He pulled back up and pressed a tender kiss to the angel's lips.

"Condom?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

"No, want to feel you," Cas told him, voice just as wrecked as his.

"Are you sure?" he asked, cock throbbing at the thought of taking his angel bare, without any barriers.

"Yes. I can control it," he assured the hunter. Dean nodded. He wasn't about to sit there and argue with the other man. Slicking up his cock, he settle over Cas, pushing the other man's legs up to give himself more room. He lined up with the angel's glistening, loosened hole and eased in. The head of his dick breached the tight ring of muscles and Cas hissed.

Dean paused until his angel's breathing eased then slid the rest of the way in. Holy fuck, he had missed this. He'd missed being buried deep in Cas's tight heat, feeling the other man squeezing him tight.

"You okay," he asked, forcing his body to remain still until he knew the other man was ready.

"Yes."

That was all it took. Dean set a quick pace, keeping it as gentle as he could. He angled his thrusts just slightly and smiled when his angel cried out as he nailed the prostate. Dean felt his orgasm nearing, the buzz in his toes that moved up his body giving it away.

He reached between their bodies and pumped his angel in time with his thrusts. Cas's breathing was harsh and fast; his head was thrown back in pleasure. Dean was so damn close. He wanted to see his angel fall apart with him. He aimed his thrusts at Cas's prostate again.

"Dean!" something was wrong with the other man's tone. Dean sought out the angel's gaze. His eyes were filled with fear.

"D-Dean. Stop. Pull out, I-I can't control... I..." the angel was shaking in his arms, fighting his orgasm.

Dean quickly pulled out of the other man. He instead lined up their erections and took both in one hand. He slammed his lips against his angel's and pumped them both hard and fast. He felt Cas grasp his shoulder, right over his mark, and then he was coming. The angel followed him over the edge, his own seamen mixing and pumping into the space between their heaving bodies. He could feel Cas's Grace as it surrounded him, caressing him as it washed over him. It was the most amazing feeling he'd ever felt. It left him feeling protected and loved.

Dean lay on top of the other man, panting as he recovered. When he finally felt like he had control of his muscles again, he gently rolled to the side. He reached out to kiss the other man, but Cas pulled away. Dean shot a confused look at his lover. The angel gave him an embarrassed and ashamed look.

"Dean, I... I'm sorry. So sorry," he started, but Dean cut him off. He kissed him tenderly to stop the words.

"Cas, it's fine. I love you. We'll get there. We have all night to work on it."

"I think we need a shower," the shorter man told him with a thankful smile. Dean returned the grin.

"I like showers. Especially ones with you."

Cas chuckled softly. Dean loved hearing his angel laugh. It didn't matter that the sex hadn't gone quite as planned, he'd still loved ever minute of it and he still loved the man in his arms. They'd figure this out.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Cradle Will Fall**

**Part Four**

Dean woke up curled around Castiel. He was worn out in the most delicious way. He'd lost count of the number of times they'd gone at it last night. The sex had gotten better by the time dawn approached, though they still hadn't gone without a condom. They'd get there. Cas's control was getting better. Anyway, condom or not, sex with his angel was great.

Cas shifted in his arms, a quiet grunt escaping his lips. He must be waking up. Dean kissed his shoulder before pushing himself out of the bed. They needed to head back to Bobby's and rescue Sam from their little boy. Heaven knows Daniel could be a handful at times. He obviously picked up a few things from his Uncle Gabriel.

Dean jumped into the shower and by the time he emerged, fully dressed, Cas was up and had their bags packed. There were days he really loved angel efficiency.

"Are you ready?" Cas asked, glancing up from their bags.

"Yeah. I'm ready. I miss my little rascal. And Sam and Gabe, too, I guess," Dean told him. Cas gave him a small smile.

"I miss our family, too," the angel replied.

Family. Dean liked the sound of that. They might be a weird little family, but what they had worked.

"Alright, let's head back then." Cas came over and gripped his wrist. Dean blinked and they were standing in Bobby's living room. He could hear laughter and Danny's little voice coming from the kitchen. He walked into the cheery room to find his son sitting in his high chair, covered head to toe in sticky peanut butter and a purple substance that had to be jelly. Daniel snapped his gaze up to Dean. His son had an uncanny way of knowing when Dean was around, whether he could see him or not.

"Dada!" Danny called out, reaching out to him with sticky little hands.

"Hey, buddy! I missed ya," Dean told his son, pressing a kiss to his dark head. "Let's let Papa clean you up and then I'll pick you up, kay?" He raised an eyebrow at Cas and watched the angel walk over and lay his hand on their son's head. Daniel's mess disappeared in a heartbeat. Dean scooped up the little boy.

"I think he missed you," Sam told him, watching the whole scene with a smile on his face.

"How was he?" Cas asked.

"A perfect little angel," Gabriel told the pair with a smirk. Dean rolled his eyes at that.

"Well, it's good to know that the two of you didn't burn down the house while we were gone," Dean ribbed his brother and their friend.

"You know, I don't think he trusts us, Sammy," Gabriel joked. "Well, I have errands to run. I'll be back. Tootles!" The Archangel fluttered away with a small, parting wave.

Yeah, they were definitely weird, but Dean was okay with that.

* * *

><p>Sam watched the Archangel disappear. It had been nice waking up in the other man's arms. Maybe a little too nice. Since they'd started their little fuck arrangement, Gabriel hadn't once spent the night until the night of his last nightmare, and even then he'd been gone when he woke up. This spending the night and waking up in each other's arms might be the straw that broke the camel's back.<p>

Sam could have sex with someone and it mean nothing; he really could, but sex with the same person, a person who was starting to act like he actually cared? It was proving to be much harder than Sam thought it would be back when Gabriel first slammed him into the wall and blew him.

He needed to be careful. Falling for the errant Archangel would only end in heartbreak.

Sam watched Dean and Cas cuddle and coo at their son. It was so out of character for them, yet so right at the same time. He knew it was almost Danny's naptime and figured the happy parents would want to be the ones to put the little boy down.

Sam had thought long and hard this morning before finally coming to the decision to talk with both Cas and Dean about his dreams, so he waited impatiently for the two men to get Daniel settled. When the couple returned to the kitchen, Sam nervously cleared his throat. He remembered the trouble that came with keeping things like this from Dean and that was what gave him the courage to speak up.

"Hey, guys, there's something I need to talk to you about," he started. Dean eyed him, confusion clear on his face, but Cas's gaze was steady and calculating, as if he already suspected what Sam was about to say.

"I... I've sorta been keeping something from you..." he told them but stopped at the hurt, betrayed look on Dean's face. Even after everything, apparently there was still a part of his brother that didn't trust him. He sighed but continued on. "I've been having these dreams. Like the one I had the night Danny hatched." Dean's face melted a little, relief starting to show through.

"Are they the same one you had that night?" Dean asked.

"Not really, but similar. It's always two or three of us... and a little girl I don't know, but... but I'm starting to think she's my daughter," Sam told them, voice trailing off at the end.

"Your... your daughter? Since when do you have a kid?" Dean asked incredulously.

"I don't!" Sam vehemently swore. "Or... not that I know of."

"Could it possibly be... I mean, how old is the child?" Cas asked, gaze calculating.

"I don't know. I've seen her at all different stages. From newborn to around ten or so. There's something else..."

"What?" Dean asked hesitantly.

"There's a woman in the dreams as well. Someone I don't recognize. She seems to think I _should _know her though, and..." Sam swallowed roughly before telling his brother the next part. "She was feeding the little girl demon blood," he finished in a whisper. He glanced up to see revulsion on his brother's face. "When I woke up, I... I was craving the blood again," he admitted, knowing he had to get it all out.

"Sam," his brother spoke up, voice rough, "Please tell me you didn't..."

"No! I... I called Gabriel," he quietly admitted. "He came and was able to mojo all the cravings away."

His brother let out a sigh of relief and buried his head in his hands. It took a few minutes for Dean to raise his gaze back up.

"Sam... Could it... could it be Ruby?"

Sam froze. That thought hadn't even crossed his mind.

"How? We killed her."

"Yeah, well, we thought she was dead once before and she tricked us. I mean, it fits. You definitely had sex with her and she would definitely be the kind of mom to feed her damn kid demon blood," Dean growled.

Sam felt his stomach roll at the thought. It made sense though. She spoken disparagingly about angels, she'd been sure Sam knew her... fuck.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Sam muttered, trying to decide if he needed to run to the bathroom or not.

"Okay. First things first. If you _do_ have a kid out there, we need to find it," Dean started but was interrupted by Cas.

"And do what? Destroy it?"

Dean shut his mouth and glared at the table before him. Sam realized his brother didn't know how to answer that.

"I'm gonna go lay down," Sam muttered. He couldn't handle any more of this. He stood up and made the trek up to his room, completely lost in thought.

He let his mind wander back to the little girl from his dreams. He tried to remember if he'd ever felt anything... off, anything... evil about her. He didn't. Yes, he'd felt unease when ever the woman entered his dreams, but just the ones with the little girl? No. He always felt at peace, content, happy to watch her play or romp or just sit at a table doing what appeared to be homework. His daughter was not some monster. He'd find a way to prove it.

* * *

><p>Sam wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep when he was awoken by his mattress dipping behind him. He rolled over to find Gabriel perched on the edge of his bed.<p>

"Hey, kiddo. Sorry to wake ya. Any dreams?" the Archangel asked, worry evident in his tone.

"No, thankfully," Sam answered, pulling himself to sit up. "I, uh, talked at Dean and Cas about everything," he told the other man.

"How'd that go?" Gabriel asked, raising an eyebrow at the hunter. Sam just shrugged.

"They think I managed to knock up Ruby," Sam mumbled. Gabriel's eyes turned hard.

"And what do you think?"

"I don't know. I don't think she's half-demon, though. I could sense something off with the woman, but never with the girl." Gabriel was quiet for a minute before changing the subject.

"Here, gotcha something," he told the hunter, pulling a simple necklace out of his jacket pocket. It looked like plain leather cording with a small brown oval talisman hanging from it.

"What is it?"

"It will keep your dreams safe and your demons at bay. It's made from the wood of a cedar from Lebanon. It holds seven drops of..." Gabriel faltered.

"Drops of what?" The angel looked him in the eye as he answered.

"Seven drops of blood from an angel." Sam pulled back at that.

"Your blood?" Gabriel just nodded. Sam didn't know what to say but he knew that it meant a lot for the Archangel to trust him with something that held that much power over him.

"Wear it all the time, not just when you're sleeping. Your mind will stay your own."

"Thank you," Sam told the other man, tenderly taking the talisman from Gabriel and placing it over his head. It hung down directly over his heart and Sam felt warmth flood his body. Gabriel's solemn look melted away into his trademark smirk.

"Well, you can go back to your nap. There's something I want to talk to my baby brother about. Later, Sammy." With that, the angel was gone.

* * *

><p>Gabriel actually had no intention of seeking out Castiel for anything. He just couldn't stay in that room with Sam any longer. Things were getting complicated, fast, where the youngest Winchester was concerned. Gabriel didn't like complicated, but he did like Sam, okay, more than liked, but that thought freaked him the fuck out so he'd just forget he ever thought that, which put him in a very awkward situation.<p>

At the top of the stairs, Castiel appeared directly in front of the Archangel, effectively ending his mental musings. He sighed. So much for not wanting to face his brother just yet.

"Hey, Bro," Gabriel greeted his fellow angel, pasting on his Trickster smile.

"Gabriel. I want to discuss something with you." Wow, his little brother really didn't believe in beating around the bush.

"Okay. Shoot."

"I know that you and Sam are... involved." That made Gabriel's smile slide right off his face.

"What's it to ya?" he asked, a note of warning in his voice.

"Could the child be yours?" Castiel asked, straight to the point once again. Gabriel felt his heart clench at the question.

"No," he bit out, attempting to walk around his brother. Castiel placed a hand on his chest, stopping his retreat.

"Are you sure?" Damn it, did the angel really not know when to let things go?

"Yes," he hissed at the taller man. "There is no way Sam's daughter is mine."

Castiel tilted his head to the side, staring unblinkingly at his brother. Suddenly, his expression cleared then faded into one of pity.

"But you wish she could be." Gabriel felt his anger boil over. He stepped right up into his brother's face and hissed his response.

"You are out of line, Castiel! Stop trying to understand things you don't have a hope of comprehending," he warned before stretching out his wings and taking flight. He never saw the sad, hazel eyes watching him from the doorway.


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N****: I should point out that this was original part of chapter four. Part Four ended up being about 4k words and it was SO much longer than the other parts that, to keep continuity we decided to split them up, thus Part Four and Part Five, but we didn't want to wait any longer to post it, so... enjoy! And, again, Part Four didn't get any reviews, which doesn't mean no one was reading, but, if there's something wrong, let me know, please, because it's kinda disheartening to put all that work into a piece and not have anyone reading/liking it. Concrit is always welcome!**_

**The Cradle Will Fall**

**Part Five**

Castiel watched Dean pace the length of their room. Daniel had gone down a couple hours ago but Dean had been unable to calm down enough to even attempt sleep. The angel worried about his lover.

"Okay. Maybe I should go on down now and start looking through Bobby's books. There's gotta be some kind of blood ritual or something we can use to find Sam's kid. Then, if it is that bitch Ruby, we can gank her, for good this time," Dean ranted quietly. Castiel sighed. The older Winchester really had not taken Sam's news earlier well at all. It made matters even worse when the younger brother had managed to avoid them both for the rest of the day.

"Dean," Cas started, stepping in front of the hunter to halt his steps. "You are assuming and acting as if the child already exists. Perhaps we really should consider the possibility that Sam's daughter has not even been conceived yet, let alone born. Your brother's dreams have always been premonitions before, have they not?" Dean nodded at that. "You are assuming _one _theory is correct when we have multiple possibilities." The other man seemed to crumble at his words.

"I know, Cas. I just... he was craving blood, again! If there's even a _chance _that that bitch is playing with him again... Cas, I can't..." Dean trailed off, looking lost and wounded.

"I know, Dean, but we can't assume anything yet. Whatever is going on, you know I will do everything in my power to protect your brother. I believe the same can be said for Gabriel." Dean nodded, collapsing onto their bed.

"Perhaps you would like me to take your mind off of this," Castiel suggested, moving to sit behind the hunter. Dean leaned back into the angel's body.

"I'm not gonna argue with that offer," he answered. Castiel smiled before pressing light kisses on the taller man's neck.

* * *

><p>Gabriel stood beside a rushing river. He had, perhaps, been a little hard on Cas, but his brother had no idea what he was thinking or feeling. He had no clue the thoughts and feelings that ran through his mind every time he looked at Daniel or watched Sam with their nephew. And he sure as hell had no idea what it was like to lose your family, the pain that never leaves you, the knowledge that you could have stopped it all.<p>

No, Castiel knew nothing, so he really needed to keep his mouth shut.

Gabriel contemplated stretching his wings out and taking flight to clear his mind when the first inkling that something wasn't right hit him. When he chose to use his own blood in the talisman he'd made for Sam, he knew it would tie them together. He thought it might come in handy, to be able to sense when something was off. Well, something was definitely off.

He considered flying to Castiel and alerting him so they could be on guard for Daniel's sake or just flying directly to Sam to see what was going on when the off feeling turned into sheer panic. Gabriel's heart dropped when he heard Sam's desperate cry.

_Gabriel! Help!_

* * *

><p>It took Sam a few minutes to figure out what had woken him. He glanced around his dark room, but couldn't see anything wrong or out of place. He glanced at the alarm clock to see that it was a quarter to one in the morning.<p>

As the fogginess of sleep faded, he felt a pull. He had this sudden, strange, incessant desire to go outside. Sam stayed in his bed as long as he could, but the desire just grew until he finally threw off his covers and grabbed his shoes. He quickly put them on and made his way down the dark, quiet stairs.

Sam crept through the living room and out the door. Once he emerged out into the cool night air, he paused. It took him a moment to figure out which way he was being pulled. A part of his brain was screaming at him to stop, that this was a bad idea, but the pull was too strong.

He followed invisible strings until he came to the edge of Bobby's junkyard. There were dense woods that circled Singer's Salvage Yard. Sam walked up to the wood line and paused.

A slim, short figure emerged from between two of the trees. Suddenly, Sam felt the pull dissipate. He stared at the figure as it came into the moonlight.

His heart nearly stopped when he recognized the person. It was the woman from his dreams. She was clad in a long, white night gown with long, flowing brown hair. Her skin held an otherworldly glow.

"Hello, Sam," she greeted with a small smile.

"Who are you?" he demanded, brain completely clear finally.

"You know, I really thought you would have figured that out by now. I thought you might have put that giant brain of yours to use, but... you really have no idea who I am, do you?"

"We have a few theories..."

"Really? I'd love to hear them," she told him with a smirk, leaning casually on the nearest tree.

"Dean thought you might be Ruby." The stranger stood up straight at that.

"You actually thought I could be that demon slut? I'm appalled."

"Fine. Then tell me who you really are," Sam snapped, tired of her games, but secretly glad that Dean had been wrong. "And tell me what the hell you're doing here. What do you want?" he demanded.

The woman started to walk closer to him, eyes almost glowing in the moonlight. Sam made to take a step back but couldn't. His feet felt like lead weights that were anchored to the ground. His heart raced as she moved closer.

"You've locked me out of your dreams, Sammy. I needed to talk with you, so, you left me with no choice but to come see you face to face," she told him, stopping mere feet from his paralyzed form.

"What could you possible need to talk to me about? And you still haven't told me who you are."

"Patience, Sam. We'll get there. Now, to answer your first question, I want to make you an offer."

"No thanks."

"You haven't even heard me out."

"Doesn't matter."

The woman let her eyes rove over his body before coming to rest at his neck. He couldn't help but twitch under her scrutiny. She leaned in close to him and reached out. He flinched but couldn't pull away.

"So, that's how you did it," she murmured, pulling Gabriel's talisman out from under his shirt. She touched one finger to the brown oval and Sam saw her eyes widen in shock. "My, my, Sam, you certainly have friends in high places." Stepping back just slightly, she gazed intently into his eyes. Sam tried to move his gaze, but the swirling brown depths held him captive. Flashes of Gabriel ran through his mind, glimpses of the Archangel with Daniel, moments of the two of them entangled together, of Gabriel pounding into him, of him kneeling with the angel's cock buried in his throat. Finally, the strange woman pulled back, a knowing smirk on her face.

"Hmmmm... Very interesting," she whispered. "Now, about my offer..."

"I told you, I'm not interested," he growled in a low voice.

"Sam, what I'm offering you isn't a bad thing. You're one of a kind, do you know that?" Sam refused to acknowledge her question. "Azazel did an amazing thing when he created his children, something I've not been able to duplicate," she told him.

Sam felt sick at her words.

"Of course, then he went and pitted you against each other, forcing you to destroy one another. Not the actions that I would have expected from a father... Certainly not the actions a mother would have bestowed upon her children. So, you see, Sam, Azazel's incompetence has left me with just... you. The last of your kind."

"I still don't get what you want with me. I don't even have any power any more."

"Oh, but you could," she told him, holding up a vial that had just appeared in her hand. It was filled with a thick red substance, one he'd recognize anywhere. He felt his panic rise.

"Relax, Sammy, I'm not going to force this down your throat. This will only work if you're willing. I value unique creations, Sam. Imagine the beings I could form with your unique powers and abilities."

"I will _never _willing drink that or help you," Sam hissed, trying in vain to move his body.

The woman's smile vanished from her face.

"You have always wanted a family, children... and I know you would love your children, Sam. I'm offering you that chance."

"Yeah, well, you can take that offer and shove it."

"He'll never love you. Not weak like you are. I _know _Gabriel. You're too pathetically fragile like this; he'll never risk it again. I can make you strong. I can give you the power to be his equal, to make him love you."

Sam felt sick to his stomach at her words. What she said was probably true, but even so, it wasn't enough to make him give in and take what she was offering.

"Who are you?" he asked one final time. The woman narrowed her eyes at him.

"They call me Eve."

Fuck. Shit, son of a bitch.

_Gabriel! Help! It's Eve, she's here!_ Sam frantically called out, desperate for help and fearing the moment when she tired of him and turned her attention to the sleeping Nephil in the house behind him.

"So, what do you think of my offer?" Eve asked.

"You want to use me like some prize stud?" he asked, hoping to keep her attention on him and give Gabriel time to get Daniel to safety.

"If that's the way you want to look at it, I prefer thinking of it as repopulating the species, or creating entirely new ones."

Sam tried to think of something else to say when the talisman on his chest began to burn. Gabriel must be close.

"Sam!" Gabriel's voice rang out in the still night. Sam felt his limbs release enough for him to turn. Striding towards him were his brother, Castiel and... Gabriel, but a Gabriel unlike any he'd seen before.

The Archangel oozed righteous fury, his eyes glowed with a holy fire and he was wielding a sword. Not his usual angel blade, but a fucking huge, flaming sword. This was an avenging Archangel; this was the all-powerful Hand of Justice, Warrior of the Almighty. This was the Gabriel of the Bible, bringer of wrath and death. Sam shuddered.

"Gabriel... you never learn, do you?" Eve spoke up, reminding him of the situation they were currently in.

"Leave, now, or I will destroy you," Gabriel warned.

Eve gave Sam a calculating look.

"Fine. But, Gabriel, I would advise you not to make the same mistake twice," she told the angel before stepping up to Sam. "Fine, you don't want to do this my way, we'll do it yours," she hissed before pressing her hand to his chest, directly over the talisman. Sam screamed as a burning white pain shot through his body. His chest felt like a hand of fire was trying to reach through it. Wave after wave of burning pain coursed through him so that he barely heard Gabriel frantically call out his name and Dean's desperate cries behind that before darkness descended on him and he knew no more.


	6. Chapter 6

**Part Six**

Dean ran to his brother's side. He watched Gabriel stalk towards Eve but the bitch disappeared just as the other man neared her. The hunter half expected the angel to take flight after her, but Gabriel just spun on his toes and ran back to them, flaming sword disappearing into thin air. The shorter man knelt next to the still form on the ground.

"Move," the angel barked at him. There was very little, if anything, that could move Dean from his brother's side when he was hurt, but the blazing power and fury rolling off the Archangel in waves would have to be one of them. He knew that if anyone could help Sammy, it was Gabriel. He sat back on his heels, giving the angel room, but remaining near just in case.

"What's wrong with him?" Dean demanded, afraid of the answer. He watched Gabriel lay a hand on Sam's forehead. The angel frowned in concentration before pulling his hand back and giving Dean a confused look.

"I can't sense anything wrong. As far as I can tell, he's just unconscious."

"So, wake him up," Dean ordered, wanting to hear from his brother's lips that he was okay.

"Why don't we take him inside, somewhere a bit more warded before we wake him," Cas suggested. Dean had to admit his angel had a point. The hunter nodded.

"I'll take him to his room," Gabriel told them, snapping both away before Dean or Cas could protest.

"Do you wish to walk or shall I fly us there?" Cas asked.

"We can walk. It's not that far and I'd like to be able to poop this week," he answered, mind on his brother. Cas just nodded then turned and began walking back towards Bobby's.

* * *

><p>Sam woke to quiet voices around him. He expected to feel immense burning pain and was surprised when he shifted and felt only a slight tenseness in his muscles. He could feel someone sitting near his shoulder, a light hand tracing what felt like runes on his bicep, though he couldn't make out exactly which ones. He could also tell someone was sitting at his feet.<p>

He carefully opened his eyes to find his brother pacing the length of his room. He glanced at the foot of his bed and realized it was Cas he could feel up against his feet. That left...

He raised his eyes to meet Gabriel's piercing golden gaze. The Archangel was staring at him intently.

"How ya' feeling, kiddo?" he asked. The question halted Dean's steps and his brother was at his side in an instant.

"Don't call me a kid," he mumbled, pulling himself up to a sitting position. "And I feel fine. A little tired, what time is it?"

"About four in the morning. What the hell happened out there, Sam?" his brother asked.

"Eve. She's apparently the one who's been in my head the last six months. With Gabriel's help, I've blocked her out so I guess she decided to come pay me a visit and talk in person," he explained.

"What the hell does that bitch want?" his brother demanded. Sam felt his face flush. That wasn't really something he particularly wanted to discuss in present company but he supposed the more they knew, the better equipped they'd be to stop Eve.

"She, uh, wants to use me as her own personally breeding stud," he muttered.

"She wants to mix your... unique abilities with her monsters. She wants new hybrids," Cas spoke up from the foot of his bed, understanding tinting his voice.

"Seriously? Dude, that's fucked up. I hope you copped an attitude when you told her to shove it up her ass," Dean practically growled. The simple fact that his brother automatically assumed Sam would turn her down warmed his heart.

"Of course."

"What the hell did she do to you there at the end, then?" Dean asked, his angry tone melting into a worried one. Sam shrugged.

"No idea. Maybe she was just pissed that I wouldn't play her game so she wanted to hurt me. Because that definitely hurt," Sam told them. He felt Gabriel tense next to him.

"Are you still in pain?" the Archangel asked.

"No, just a little sore," he answered, absently rubbing his chest where Eve had concentrated her little jolt of fire.

"You sure?" his brother asked.

"Yes, Dean. Trust me, I wouldn't lie about this."

"Alright. Just remember, we have our own angel healing team, so if something's wrong, don't hesitate to speak up," Dean told him.

Sam laughed at that. He turned, expecting Gabriel to be wearing his normal smirk and to have a witty comeback ready, but instead he found the Archangel subdued and watching him intently. Gabriel dragged his gaze away when Sam met his concerned eyes.

"If things have settled for the night, perhaps we should call Balthazar back," Cas suggested.

"Wait, Bathazar? What's he got to do with anything?" Sam asked, caught off guard by the other angel's name.

"We asked him to take Daniel somewhere safe," Cas explained.

"And I, being the amazing brother that I am, agreed," came a voice from behind Cas. Sam couldn't help but smile at the slightly rumpled angel. He'd never peg Balthazar as a kid-lover, but he and Danny seemed to have come to some kind of understanding, if the way the little boy was clinging to him and giggling was any indication.

"Looks like he didn't drive you to insanity after all," Dean spoke up, taking his son from the angel.

"Well, it was a near miss. Alright there, Sam?" Balthazar asked.

"Yeah. Been better, but..." Sam just shrugged.

"Just have lover-boy over there kiss it and make it better, yeah?"

Sam rolled his eyes but could feel a blush rising on his cheeks.

"Dude, some jokes get old," Dean scoffed.

Balthazar gave Sam a knowing smirk before turning back to the older hunter.

"You're right, my bad. Well, gents, I'm off. Things to see, people to do. Later!" with that, the angel left with a flutter.

"I hate him," Gabriel muttered so only Sam could hear.

"I would have thought you two would get along great," Sam whispered.

"He's a copycat!" Gabriel replied indignantly.

"Alright, Sam, if you're sure you're okay, we're going to try and get Daniel to sleep," Dean interrupted.

"Uh, yeah, sure, I'm fine. Go, take care of your little man."

"Gabriel, anything you can do to keep Eve out for tonight?"

"I'll keep watch, don't worry. I doubt she'll try again tonight."

"Good."

Dean hefted a still giggling Daniel up and bid them good night. He turned and left the room, Cas hot on his heels. Sam swiveled around to say goodbye to Gabriel, expecting the Archangel to leave as well. Before the words could leave his mouth, the shorter man leaned over and sealed his mouth to Sam's. The kiss was hot and frantic, possibly even desperate. Gabriel pressed him back to the bed, his shorter body covering Sam's completely.

Sam was shocked. In all the time they'd fucked, he'd only kissed him twice, and both times had been recently and not expected. He didn't know what to make of the change in their status quo.

Despite being caught off guard, Sam had no problem returning the kiss with the same enthusiasm. Gabriel finally pulled back, body still pressed against Sam's.

"Don't ever do that to me again," he hissed. Sam glanced up in shock at the fear in the angel's voice. Gold eyed met his own hazel ones. Sam could see a million emotions swimming there.

"Gabriel, I..." Sam started, but the angel cut him off.

"I can't do that again, Sam. I can't lose you, too," he told the hunter, voice broken and quivering.

Sam was shocked. He wasn't sure what Gabriel was trying to say, but he had an idea. He knew what it _sounded _like.

Gabriel kissed him again, halting anything Sam might have been tempted to say. The kiss was no less desperate than earlier. Sam was busy returning each nip, each swipe of the tongue, with one of his own that he didn't realize when Gabriel snapped their clothes away.

He suddenly found himself with a hard, naked body blanketing his own, Gabriel's dick swollen and leaking against his stomach. Sam felt a rush of heat pool in his stomach then move down, his own cock aching for attention.

"I need you," Gabriel whispered against his lips.

"I'm right here," Sam whispered back, ass clenching expectantly. He needed Gabriel just as much.

Cool, wet fingers breached his tight hole without ever having to reach for lube. The joys of being an angel. The enticing burn wasn't nearly enough. He canted his hips up, silently begging for more. Gabriel acquiesced, adding a second, then a third finger.

Sam panted as the Archangel pumped his fingers in and out, scissoring them and hitting his prostate every other time. When the hunter felt he couldn't take it anymore, he pushed back on the other man's shoulders, intent on rolling over so they could get this show on the road. Gabriel stopped him, pressing his shoulder back into the mattress.

"No, like this," Gabriel whispered into his neck, peppering kisses down and across his collarbone. Sam was once again shocked. They had never done it like this, face-to-face, bodies pressing together so intimately.

He only had a moment to wonder about this change when he felt the head of Gabriel's cock at his entrance.

"Sam, I..." Gabriel seemed at a loss for words. The angel just shook his head and pressed in. One long thrust brought them flush together. Sam could feel the other man's balls against his ass, a wonderful fullness burning through him. This was right.

Gabriel set a slow, intense pace. He pushed Sam's legs up to give himself more room to thrust. Each movement hit the prostate, pulling a whimper from the hunter's mouth.

Sam reached up to grip Gabriel's shoulders. The Archangel met his gaze, golden eyes glowing in the pre-dawn light. There was an intensity there that he'd not seen before. Gabriel's thrust were growing frantic, his expression wrecked when he leaned down and slammed his lips against Sam's. The angel's right hand moved up and pressed down on the talisman sitting on Sam's chest, the same exact way Eve's had, but rather than searing pain, Sam only felt waves of unending pleasure.

"Mine," Gabriel growled. Sam could feel something warm and soothing flowing through him, around him. Something distinctly _Gabriel _was surrounding him, flooding his mind and body.

Sam felt so at peace that his orgasm caught him off guard. One minute he was floating, the next he was coming, completely untouched, shooting his load onto his stomach as well as Gabriel's. A broken cry escaped his lips. That seemed to push the other man over the edge. The Archangel moaned as he emptied himself into Sam. The hunter gasped when he felt warmth invade his entire body, the sensation zeroing in on the hand still pressed against his chest. It burnt for just a second before fading into a delightful pleasure.

"Wow," he mumbled as Gabriel collapsed on top of him, both men breathing hard as they came down from their climax. He had never experienced anything like that. Sex with the angel was always good, but that had been earth shattering, mind blowing. It was intense and intimate in a way that Gabriel always refused to be.

The angel carefully pulled out and Sam immediately missed the fullness. He turned to his side and gathered Gabriel in his arms. He was surprised when the shorter man went without hesitation.

"I really need to check on some things. I want to talk to some old friends, find out how to ward against Eve for good," he told the hunter. Sam knew it was something that needed to be done, but the thought of being left alone in his bed after everything was a little too much.

"Wait 'til I'm asleep? Please?" he asked, completely unashamed at the pleading tone of his voice.

"Of course," Gabriel murmured.

Sam knew they seriously had some shit to talk about, and he hoped Gabriel would be willing to come morning, because that? That was so far from just fucking.

Sam quickly fell into a deep, dreamless sleep that night, safe and secure in his angel's arms.

* * *

><p>Eve paced the large hall of the house she'd taken possession of. Sam had been far more resilient than she had expected, his feelings for Gabriel much stronger than she'd anticipated.<p>

No matter, she could work with this. One hybrid was the same as another, it was all new and exciting and she'd soon convince Sam to help her, especially when Gabriel lived up to her rather low expectations. The Archangel was as gun shy as they came. His fear would rule him, just as it did all those years ago. It was only a matter of time. She could be patient. After all, that was one of the first lessons a mother learned: patience.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Cradle Will Fall**

Part Seven

Sam woke to sunlight streaming through his bedroom window. He rolled over with a groan and glanced at the clock by his bed. It was nearly noon. Gabriel had left sometime while he slept and Sam felt indescribably lonely.

The Archangel's actions towards him were confusing. He had been adamant over the last few months that what they were doing was for fun and pleasure and that was it. Sam had agreed. The last thing he'd been looking for was a relationship.

Sam should have known better. He'd never been all that good at casual sex, especially in the long term.

That being said, he honestly never thought his feelings would grow so strong, so fast for the ex-Trickster. The man drove him nuts, was certifiably insane at times, oh, and had killed Dean hundreds of times to prove a point.

Needless to say, falling for the Archangel had come as a surprise, a rather unwelcome one. He knew Gabriel had some pretty heavy issues, ones that would insure that Sam's feelings wouldn't be returned, and really, he'd been kind of okay with that.

Only now, Gabriel was changing the rules, and Sam was having a hard time keeping up.

He pulled himself to a sitting position and winced when pain exploded in his temples. The room started to tilt and Sam had to take several deep breaths to keep him from puking. What the hell? Eve hadn't hit his head so why the hell did he feel like he had a damn concussion?

He screwed his eyes closed to block out the spinning room and continued his deep breathing until the urge to throw up subsided. A few minutes later and the throbbing in his head dulled to a weak ache. He carefully stood up and sighed when nothing was made worse by the action.

He quickly dressed and made his way down to the kitchen. Once the nausea faded, he realized he was starving.

He walked into the bright eating area and smiled at the scene he found. Dean was sitting at the small table trying to coax a very reluctant Daniel into eating some kind of green goo.

"Come on, kid, you gotta eat your veggies," his brother muttered to his son.

"Never thought I'd hear you say that," Sam commented. Dean sent a glare his way.

"Laugh it up. You'll get your turn some day."

Sam felt the smile slide off his face.

"Doubt it," he whispered before taking his seat. "So, what's for lunch?" he asked just as he stomach gave a loud growl.

Dean smirked at him.

"Cas popped over to Ava's," he told Sam, mentioning the name of one of their favorite diners. They had the best pie in all of South Dakota.

"Awesome," Sam told him, imagining one of Ava's special cheeseburgers and a giant order of onion rings. His mouth started to water.

Cas walked into the kitchen just as Sam was about to ask how long the angel was going to take. The smell of the food sent his stomach growling again. His headache seemed to fade as his hunger became foremost in his mind.

"Good morning, Sam," Cas greeted with a small smile.

"More like afternoon," Dean spoke up, laughing at Daniel as the kid made a horrid face at his green goop.

"Hey, it was a busy night. I'm starving. Whatcha got?" he asked, eyes glued to the take out containers the angel set down on the table.

"I ordered your favorite. I know how you love the Cobb salad from Ava's," the angel responded as he pushed one take out container towards the hunter.

Sam stared at the container incredulously. Salad? Seriously? He glanced over at his brother's container and scowled at the greasy burger and extra large helping of fries it contained.

"Is something wrong?" Cas asked, opening his own container, which of course held a large burger and slightly smaller order of fries.

"Why the hell did you get me a salad?" he blurted out, voice a bit harsher than he intended. He watched a startled expression appear on his friend's face.

"You _always _order the cobb salad from Ava's," Cas pointed out.

"So what? That's the only thing I'm allowed to like now?" he demanded. He could feel his anger growing.

"Dude, what the fuck?" Dean asked, shock evident on his face.

"Fuck!" Daniel spouted off.

"Daniel! That is not a word we say. Daddy knows better. Dean," Cas warned.

"Sorry, Danny. Papa's right, we don't say that word, but... seriously, Sam, what is your problem?"

"Who says I have a problem?" Sam bit out. "Maybe I'd just rather have a burger than a salad and I'm mad because Cas _assumed _he knew what I'd want instead of actually _asking _me."

His brother and Castiel just stared at him. Sam's anger was slowly giving way to frustration. He could feel his chest tightening and his eyes were beginning to burn with unshed tears.

"Dude, you were asleep when he left. Maybe he was trying to be nice by not waking you up," Dean pointed out, spoon hanging in mid air, dropping green goo onto the tray of Daniel's highchair.

Cas cautiously reached over and pulled the salad away from him. He pushed his own container towards Sam.

"Here. I don't mind eating the salad. You can have my burger." Sam felt his lip tremble. Fucking hell, he was about to burst into tears over a stupid cheeseburger. What the hell was wrong with him?

"I don't want your burger. I'm not hungry," he muttered, pushing roughly away from the table and all but fleeing the kitchen before he embarrassed himself further. He took the stairs by twos and threw himself into his room, slamming the door behind him. The pain in his head grew once more as he dropped down onto his bed. He laid his head down on his pillow and forced a sob down. Curling up tight, he ignored the headache and tried to will his body to calm down.

* * *

><p>Dean stared at the doorway his brother had just disappeared through. He was sure of it now. Eve had done something to Sam. Sure, he called Sam a girl, made fun of his emo shit, but that? That wasn't his brother. That was pushing it, even for Sam.<p>

Cas stood up and picked up his cheeseburger container.

"What are you doing?"

"Sam was obviously hungry. I'm not sure why he is acting the way he is, but I am going to see if I can find out, and take him lunch while I'm at it," the angel explained before leaving the kitchen. Dean just rolled his eyes. Way too much drama for a house full of men.

He wondered if he should go with Cas. Bobby had come back that morning so he could leave Daniel with the older hunter in the living room for a few minutes if he needed to.

If something was wrong with Sam, Dean didn't want to be sitting down there in the kitchen, he'd rather be up there, figuring out what the bitch had done to his brother.

On the other hand, he really wasn't any good with a highly emotional Sam, he never had been. Maybe it was better to let Cas talk to him. He could trust the angel to report back to him immediately with anything he discovered. That seemed to be Dean's best bet.

* * *

><p>Sam took deep, measured breaths, begging his head to stop hurting but it wasn't working. Not only was it not working, but his stomach was starting to cramp as well. Deep aching pains, as if he'd been punched in the gut repeatedly, pulsed through him.<p>

He fought back a whimper when he heard light knocking on his door.

"What?" he called out, torn between whether he wanted whoever to come in and help or just go away and let him suffer.

"Sam?" he heard Cas call out quietly from the doorway. He pried his eyes open and glanced at the angel.

"What?" he asked gruffly.

"I know you are hungry. I'm sorry I didn't ask what you would like to eat. I don't actually require food, so, please, take the burger," he said, moving further into the room.

When the smell of the greasy cheeseburger hit his nose, Sam nearly lost it. He felt his insides heave and it took every bit of willpower not to barf all over Cas.

"Get it away," he pleaded, voice wavering slightly. Cas eyed him curiously for a minute before making the container, and thankfully the smell as well, disappear.

"Sam, what's wrong?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "Can't you figure it out?"

Cas came over and carefully sat down on the bed. He reached out and placed a cool hand on Sam's forehead. The angel frowned for a minute before finally speaking to him.

"I can't sense anything," he told the hunter, confusion lacing his words.

"My head feels like it's going to explode and my stomach feels like it's been run over by a truck," he told his friend.

"I'm sorry, Sam, but I can't fix it either," Cas told him, brow furrowing as he spoke. "Perhaps Gabriel will be able to help." Sam knew Cas wasn't as powerful as Gabriel, but after his resurrection, Castiel was a pretty damn powerful angel and if he couldn't fix this… what was wrong?

"He's busy. He's trying to find out more info on Eve. I'll just try to sleep it off and ask him when he gets back," Sam told the angel. He could see that Cas was skeptical about that plan.

"If you're sure..."

Sam nodded and buried himself deeper into the covers.

"Please call me if it gets worse," Castiel requested. Sam just nodded, then cringed when the motion caused the pain in his head to shoot up again.

Cas squeezed his shoulder once before standing up and exiting the room.

* * *

><p>Gabriel walked through the desolate wasteland. The smell of rage and despair was strong here and it mixed with the smells of blood and sulfur that permeated the dark depths of Hell. Desperate times called for desperate measures. He had no idea who he could turn to that would have the first inkling of how to control Eve, aside from his Father, and he knew that was a lost cause.<p>

He really didn't hold out hope that this plan would work, either, but his brother was the only person who had ever been able to control and manipulate Eve in the slightest. It was a long shot, but at the moment, it was his only shot.

Gabriel had to do something. He couldn't watch history repeat itself. He wouldn't allow Castiel to go through the same pain he'd endured, and Sam... Sam had fought so hard to be free from the darkness Azazel had tainted him with. He would do everything in his power to insure that the younger hunter wouldn't fall back into that destructive cycle.

If Sam had a chance at a happy family, a daughter, something he knew Sam still wanted, no matter how many times he denied it, then Gabriel would make sure the hunter got it, no matter how much it would hurt to sit back and watch.

As he neared the place he sought, the screams of the damned intensified. He let his wings stretch out, allowed his grace to pour into the land and souls around him. He could hear their pained whispers as the pureness of his grace touched the darkness tainting them. It should be enough of a warning to keep them away.

When he came to the edge of a deep chasm, an invisible wall stopped him from progressing. This had to be it. He walked along the edge of the precipice until he could sense him. Stopping, he stared out into the abyss and waited.

"Hello, Brother," came a voice, broken and mangled, but still recognizable. Gabriel watched his fallen brother step into the light. Broken and burnt wings dragged behind his once beautiful brethren. The other angel's grace flickered feebly in the presence of Gabriel's own radiant grace.

"Hello, Lucifer," he answered.

"What brings you to my humble abode?"

"I have a proposition for you."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Okay, thanks for the wait! This is Cassen and I'm posting this so Connie doesn't have to worry about it, what with the new baby and all. :) Gonna give you a warning now: this deals with the discussion of abortion, beware. And this is also where we say: BARE WITH US! Trust us, give us a chance and don't get upset just yet. We promise, we like happy endings, we just love angst in between. oh, and trust Gabriel. please! And you're reviews are greatly appreciated! I know Connie reads them over and over again during her 2am feedings! They make my day as well! You guys are so awesome!  
><strong>

**The Cradle Will Fall**

**Part Eight**

The next time Sam woke, it was to intense cramping and another pounding headache. He carefully stretched out his legs and fought against the nausea that rushed through him. Maybe a shower would help. Deciding that was his best option, he carefully pulled himself up to a sitting position.

Pain erupted through his abdomen and he cried out. He pulled up his shirt and glanced down at his stomach. On his lower abdomen, almost even with his hipbones, was a smattering of angry looking bruises. He knew Eve hadn't hit him; she'd touched him once, on his chest, so he had no idea where the discolored blemishes had come from.

"Sam?"

Sam looked up to find his brother and Cas standing in the door of his room, both wearing wary, worried looks.

"Dean…" Sam started but the pain flared again, stopping him mid thought.

His brother strode into the room, Cas hot on his heels, and knelt by his bed, hands hovering over the bruised area of his stomach.

"What the hell, Sam? I didn't think she hit you?"

"She didn't," Sam muttered as the rush of nausea hit him again. He groaned and let his shirt fall to cover the bruising.

"Sam?" Cas asked, worry evident in his tone as he came to stand on the other side of the bed. The angel reached out and let his hand hover over Sam's abdomen. After a few seconds, Dean pulled up the shirt and shot Cas a confused look. Sam glanced down and was shocked himself to see the bruises still there.

"That looks like internal bleeding. Fuck, Sam, that bitch did something to you and mojo'd it so Cas couldn't fix you," Dean said, his words barely penetrating the pain filled haze that had taken up residence in Sam's mind.

"Guess she wanted me to suffer," he mumbled, praying he wouldn't puke all over his brother.

"We've got to get you some help. If you're bleeding inside, we need to stop it," Dean said in a worried tone.

"Where would we take him? And how would we explain this?" Cas asked, the voice of reason.

"We'll take him to the hospital, tell them he got into a bar fight or something," Dean muttered.

"Take him to University. Vicki, Alan's daughter, works in the ER, she's an intern, but she knows hunters, she won't ask questions," Bobby spoke up from the doorway. Sam glanced up at him. The older hunter was holding a very squirmy Daniel and watching them with worried eyes.

"Alan Dickens?" Dean asked.

Bobby nodded. Sam vaguely remembered the hunter they were talking about. He had no idea Alan's daughter had gone into medicine rather than following her father into the "business".

"Guess that's our best bet," Dean said, glancing up at Cas. "You're not getting anything off him?"

"No. I can see something is wrong… but I can't… it is like he is a blank slate. I sense nothing."

"Hospital it is then. Bobby, can you call Alan's girl and let her know we're on our way? And, are you okay with Danny?"

"Sure. I'll let her know, and stop worrying. We'll be fine," the older hunter told them gruffly as he turned away from the room.

"Let's get you up and dressed," Dean told him, helping to heft him up on the bed. Cas handed him his discarded jean and with his brother's help, he quickly had them back on. He put on his boots and let Dean tie them before Cas gently touched his forehead and he found himself sitting in the Impala, Dean in the driver's seat and Cas in the back.

"That beats walking down the stairs," he told them, head throbbing with each word.

"Yup, angel express comes in handy sometimes," Dean said with a small smirk.

Sam leaned his head back against the headrest and dozed off as the car pulled out of Bobby's salvage yard.

* * *

><p>The burning ache in his stomach had dissipated by the time they reached the hospital. Sam wished the same could be said about the rolling nausea and throbbing in his head. A short, brunette woman had ushered them into an empty room in a very deserted hallway. She explained that they had just finished remodeling that wing and that it hadn't been opened to the public yet so they should be safe from discovery.<p>

Vicki Dickens had a no-nonsense way about her and her words were blunt and to the point. Sam could see how she could easily deal with the hunters that must move in and out of her life. She reminded him a little of a young Ellen. She poked and prodded him, taking blood samples and checking his blood pressure, his temp, all of the standard practices before pulling up his shirt to look at the bruising on his abdomen. He was shocked to see the bruises were a dull green with yellow circling them. They looked days old when only hours before they had looked fresh and dangerous.

"Ok, that is _not_ how they looked half an hour ago," Dean spoke up, saying what he had been thinking.

"Well, you say some psycho supernatural _thing_ did this to him, so, not really surprised that they wouldn't behave like you'd think," Vicki said with a shrug before leaving them to run the blood to the lab herself. It seemed a safer bet than sending something that could be rather incriminating in the hands of a nameless orderly.

"How ya' feeling?" Dean asked.

"Well, it doesn't feel like something is trying to tear my stomach out anymore," Sam answered, trying to find something optimistic to say. The bruising had faded; the pain must have gone with them.

"I guess that's good."

Sam gave his brother a small smile. He glanced over at Cas. The angel stood at the window, a dark scowl graced his face as he let his eyes roam over the quiet room. Sam could tell that his friend was upset about his inability to help, to do anything for him. He didn't blame Cas, wasn't mad, Eve must have known they had two angels at their disposal so it would make sense that what ever punishment she was handing out for his defiance, it would be something that neither Cas nor Gabriel would be able to fix. Sam tried to think of something to say to let the other man know that he wasn't upset with him when Vicki returned. She entered the room pulling a machine behind her.

"Okay, this is an ultrasound machine. I want to get a look inside, see if we can see what damage was done, pinpoint the bleeding," she told them. Her motions were edgy and she refused to meet their eyes. Her mouth was pinched and it immediately put Sam on edge. There was something she wasn't telling them.

"What's going on?" Dean asked immediately. His brother had obviously picked up on the same things he had.

"I'm not sure, that's why I want to get a look inside," she answered, tone clipped. "Unfasten your pants and pull your shirt up."

Sam glanced at his brother and felt his face heat up at the thought of partially stripping in front of Dean. Vicki rolled her eyes.

"Oh for Christ's sake, I'm not gonna take your pants off, here," she said, handing him a thin sheet, "this will cover anything that might show, now, hurry."

Sam took the sheet and sat it down next to him before unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans.

"Lay back," she told him, taking the sheet and draping it over his hips as she rucked up his shirt. "This is going to be cold, sorry," she muttered as she squirted cold gel on his lower stomach. She picked up a small wand and smeared the gel around his abdomen. He watched the screen but couldn't tell anything in the mess of black, white and gray.

"What the…" she trailed off, freezing the screen. "Is that…?" she trailed off. Cas came closer, eyes glued to the screen.

"It's Enochian," he announced, brow furrowed in confusion. "Warding against angels. That would explain why I couldn't sense anything, and why I couldn't heal you."

"So she carved him up inside? Stuck a bunch of Enochian inside so… what? So she could hurt him and we couldn't fix him? Is that what caused the bruising?" Dean asked. Vicki started moving the wand around again.

"Possibly… Holy fucking hell…" Vicki muttered, freezing the wand once more. "No way…"

"What?" Sam asked, worry eating away inside of him. Vicki tapped a few buttons on the machine, moved the wand a couple times but didn't answer him or let him in on what she could see. Finally she removed the wand, setting it back in its holder. She took a deep breath and turned to face them.

"What the fuck is going on?" Dean asked.

"Could I talk to Sam alone for a minute?" she asked, eyes never straying from Sam's.

"Just say it," Sam croaked before his brother could start a riot. He knew Dean wouldn't leave this room without answers and Sam honestly felt a little bit better with his brother there.

"You sure?" she asked. Sam nodded. "Okay," she said as she picked the wand back up. "First, I ran your blood work and I noticed… some weird things. For one, your hormone levels are all over the grid. You have a heightened level of progesterone, higher than I've seen in a man ever. Second… um, I don't really know how to say this without sounding like I'm crazy. Sam, I have seen a lot of shit over the years. I have seen some pretty damn impossible things but I have _never_ seen anything like this."

"What is it?" he asked, worried beyond belief now.

"Okay, bare with me here, but… I… here," she told them, zooming in on… something on the screen. "Do you see that?" Sam nodded. He saw it, but had no idea what it was. The blob on the screen was… pulsing. It kinda looked like a… "It's alive." Sam looked at her. Did she just say…?

"Alive? There's something _alive_ inside of him?" Dean bit out. "How do we get it out? Can we get it out without hurting him? She put one of her monsters in him."

Vicki shifted on the stool she was sitting on. Cas seemed to be staring intently at the screen.

"What is that around it?" the angel asked.

"Well, I can tell you what it looks like, what I think it's _supposed_ to be."

"And that is?"

"I think… I think it's a uterus, or something that's acting like a uterus. It doesn't look like a normal one… and it's marked like the other organs, those same Enochian sigils."

"What the fuck?" Dean asked.

"Dean… I don't think that's a monster… I think it's a baby," Vicki told his brother. A baby? That would mean he was… he couldn't say it. Sam stared at the screen, trying to see what she did. The blob on the monitor moved, twisted and… he could see it, clear as day. A little, human shaped… thing. His breathing picked up and his heart raced. His chest started to hurt, oxygen struggling to make it from lungs to brain.

"Sam. Breath," Cas spoke quietly right next to him. "You're going to hyperventilate."

"That bitch. She turned him into some kind of human incubator! Okay, again, my question, how the hell do we get it out?" Dean asked.

"It won't be easy. Based on this scan, I'd say the… I guess it's a fetus, is around twelve weeks old and-"

"Wait, twelve weeks? This just happened yesterday," Dean interrupted.

"Well, you said she was some supernatural being you've never dealt with but was intensely powerful, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that she could accelerate the growth. Either way, if you're going to do it, we need to do it now. I'm amazed that he was able to walk in here, honestly. The human male body isn't made to sustain life, not in this way; he doesn't have the fat stores to nourish it, he doesn't have the muscle structure to carry it. The longer it stays in, the more danger your brother is in. I'll need a few more scans to know for sure what I'm dealing with before I can tell you the safest way to get it out."

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Dean demanded.

Sam listened to everything in a distracted way. He heard what they were saying, but the words weren't penetrating the haze that had settled on his brain.

"Sam? Are you okay?" Cas asked quietly from where he still stood next to him. Sam continued to stare at the screen, at the… he couldn't think of it as a baby, but he couldn't really bring himself to call it a monster either.

"May I speak to Sam alone?" Cas spoke up, cutting off both Vicki and Dean mid-discussion.

"Why?" Dean asked, finally turning to look at his brother.

"I would like to speak to your brother alone. Perhaps you and Vicki could continue your discussion in the hall," Cas told Dean, words slightly clipped.

"Dude, what could you say to him that you can't say around me?" Dean asked, sounding a little angry and a little hurt.

"Dean. Please leave."

Dean opened his mouth to argue but Cas cut him off, turning to face Sam.

"Sam, I don't think this is what everyone seems to think it is. Can I please speak to you alone?" Sam met the angel's eyes and could see the earnestness of his request.

"Okay," he answered.

"What?" Dean asked, looking betrayed.

"Dean, just… give us a sec, okay?" Sam asked, finally finding his voice.

Dean just shook his head and stomped out of the room, followed by a quiet Vicki. Sam looked back up at Cas.

"Okay, what is it?"

"Sam, the sigils on this… what she called a uterus? They are slightly different from the other sigils we found burnt into your organs."

"Okay?"

"They aren't just to keep angelic power _out_, but also to keep something angelic _in_." Sam thought about that for a minute. What exactly was Cas trying to say?

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… Sam, I don't think that this is some monster that Eve has created. I think she merely created the means to carry it, but… I think the… baby itself is of your own making. Yours and Gabriel's."

Sam's body tensed. He thought they'd been careful, thought no one knew.

"You think… you think this is…" Sam swallowed.

"I think this child is yours and Gabriel's. Otherwise, why would the sigils be specific protection symbols, designed to protect you from the power within? Eve was upset that you refused to agree to her designs, so she obviously took the choice from you. Sam, we can't know for sure what it is, not until it's born. In the end, this is your choice to make. Don't let your brother take that from you. What do you feel is the right thing to do? Perhaps you should speak with Gabriel."

Sam glanced over at the screen, at the blob. His mind drifted off to brown hair and playful hazel eyes, to the daughter he'd been dreaming about for months… was that what this was? How did he know? Was it a monster or was it an innocent baby who just happened to be caught up in the middle of this mess?

His head started to pound again. Wasn't he enough of a freak of nature with his demon blood and his whole Lucifer's Vessel shit without adding pregnant man to the list? He swallowed and raised his eyes to meet his friend's.

"Can you send me home?" he asked. Cas nodded and placed two fingers on his forehead. Sam blinked and found himself back in his room at Bobby's. He crawled into his bed and pulled the covers up over him.

_Gabriel… where are you? I really need you._

* * *

><p>Gabriel stood before his fallen brother. A part of him screamed that this was a bad idea, but he was desperate. He was careful though, he wasn't stupid, and there were stipulations and precautions.<p>

"Do you agree?"

"I want your word, Gabriel. Swear to me. If I help you, you will release me." Gabriel grit his teeth.

"Yes, you have my word. If you tell us how to banish Eve, I will free you."


	9. Chapter 9

The Cradle Will Fall  
>Chapter Nine<p>

Sam woke to mild cramping and a very sore back and hips. He felt he had gone three rounds with the latest monster of the week. I took him a few minutes to remember exactly why he felt as horrid as he did. When the memories flooded back in, his stomach gave a hideous lurch. He scrambled up but his frantic search for the waste basket was halted when his brother shoved he plastic bin under his face.

Sam dry heaved into the plastic container until the nausea passed and he was fairly certain he wouldn't bring anything up.

"Thanks," he muttered as he leaned back against the pillows on his bed.

"Yeah, well..." Dean mumbled, setting the trashcan back on the floor. "You're lucky I'm not tearing you a new one for the disappearing act you pulled."

Sam just glared at his brother. He was a grown adult and he didn't need his older brother's permission to leave anywhere.

"Oh, don't give me that, Sammy! This is serious! We have no idea what the hell is going on with you and you just... what? Up and take off?" Dean spit out.

Sam really didn't feel like fighting with Dean.

"Dean, we know what's going on. It might be insane and kinda fucked up, but Vicki was pretty blunt about what was going on," Sam ground out, feeling his irritation grow.

"Yeah, you've got some... monster growing inside of you that we need to get out before it kills you!"

Sam choked on air at his brother's words.

"What!"

"Eve put one of her freaky hybrids inside of you so she could use you as some kind of... incubator. We need to get it out, like, yesterday"

Sam sighed. That was a possibility, yes, but... he really didn't feel like what he was carrying was evil. He shut his eyes and concentrated inward. He felt a warmth bubble up from deep inside; a soothing, knowing presence. He felt calm... peaceful.

"Dean... it's not... it's... she's not evil," Sam whispered.

"She?"

Sam let his hand drift down to his stomach.

"Sam..." Dean started.

"No, Dean. She's not."

"Look, regardless of that fact, you're a guy. You can't... this," Dean waved a hand at Sam's midsection, "doesn't work. She said it could kill you, that the... the thing-"

"Baby."

"Fine, baby, probably wouldn't make it to term, anyway. Sam, I know how you are. I get it, and I'm all for not harming the innocents, but... Sam, we're talking about a baby monster that may not be evil yet, or your life. It seems to be a pretty easy choice to me."

Sam let out a breath. His brother didn't get it. He would have to be blunt, spell it out. Where the hell was Gabriel?

"Dean, she's not a monster. And... she's not some creation of Eve's. She's... she's mine. My daughter."

Dean just stared at his brother. He looked confused, as if he was trying to put two and two together and kept getting five.

"Sam, look. Obviously, in our lives, we've established that it doesn't necessarily take a mommy and a daddy to make a baby, but... it still does take two people..."

Sam felt his face heat up. Now cam the fun part. He really shouldn't have a problem telling his brother about Gabriel, considering Dean had been fucking his angel for a lot longer... though Dean and Cas were long-term, happily-ever-after as opposed to him and Gabriel, who were closer to fuck buddies, or at least that's what Sam would have thought until last night. He had to admit, the Archangel had been different the last few days.

Still, he needed to tell Dean. He had to make his brother understand what he knew in his heart, what he'd felt earlier.

"Dean, there were two people," Sam finally spoke up.

Dean looked confused.

"Okay... so... why'd you get knocked up and not the chick?"

"Wow you're dense," Sam muttered before clearing his throat. "Not a chick, Dean."

"Ohhhh-kay. Why the hell didn't you say something?" Dean seemed to pause for a moment in thought. Or... was it, like, a one night stand kind of thing?"

"Uh, no. Not a one night stand," Sam admitted, wondering if he was just going to have to blurt it out. Dean could be really slow at times.

"Okay... Sam, you gotta know, considering the circumstances, I'm not going to judge. What's going on? And, how are you so sure that that... baby is not one of Eve's monsters?"

Sam took a deep breath. It was now or never.

"Cas told me... he said some of the symbols were to keep something angelic in," Sam started.

"Wait. You're... an angel..." Dean's eyes went wide. "Holy shit, you're fucking Balthazar!" he exclaimed accusingly.

"Huh?" Sam asked, caught off guard.

"Sam, really? I mean, I can go for the guy thing, even the angel thing, but Balthazar! Dude, the guy will fuck anything that stands still for two seconds!"

"Where are you getting Balthazar from?" Sam asked as his stomach started to ache again. Pain started to throb behind his eyes again.

"He's the only angel besides Cas who's around us," Dean explained.

"Gabriel. It's Gabriel, Dean," Sam blurted out, stopping his brother before he could start a rant on what a man-whore Balthazar was.

"Gabriel?" Dean asked incredulously. "As in, the Archangel Gabriel who killed me numerous times?"

"Gabriel, as in the Archangel who saved your son and has since protected both your son and your lover," Sam bit out.

Dean swallowed.

"Alright, point made. Gabe's a good guy, but... why the hell were you hiding it?"

Sam shrugged.

"I don't know... it wasn't anything serious. I didn't see the point."

Dean seemed to think on that for a minute.

"Okay... okay. So, uh... you're sure? You really think... the, uh, baby is yours and Gabriel's rather than some creation of Eve's? Why? Besides what Cas told you."

"Dean... I just... remember how we could sense things from Daniel before he was born? It's sorta like that. I can... I can sense things from her... Dean, she's real, and she's mine. I can't just... get rid of her."

Sam watched Dean's jaw clench. He wondered what his brother was thinking.

"Sam, this is dangerous. There's a good chance she won't survive, a chance you won't survive."

"Dean, it'll work. I don't know how, but..."

His brother nodded, a resigned look on his face.

"Okay. Then I'm calling Vicki. If you're gonna go through with this, then I want to know everything. Everything that could possibly go wrong, Sam, because I'm pretty sure that's a long list."

"Okay, Dean. I'm not going to argue. I want to know what's going to happen, too," Sam assured him.

"Okay. Okay, so, you're having a baby," Dean said with a nod and a grimace.

"Dean, you look like you just pronounced a death sentence."

"Hey, in your case, I just might have," Dean snapped.

"No. It'll work out, trust me."

Dean sighed.

"I'm trying, Sammy."

Vicki stood next to the bed where Sam was sitting. He'd finally up to eating a few saltines that Cas had mojo'd into existence about the time Vicki had arrived at Bobby's. She'd brought a bag-full of equipment and what she explained was a portable ultrasound machine.

"Okay, Sam. Dean says you're pretty adamant that you want to go through with this," she said, pulling some vials and what looked like a syringe from the bag.

Sam nodded.

"Then I want to start with the basic blood work that would be done under normal circumstances. After that, we'll take another look at... uh, it," she waved her hand at his stomach.

Dean and Cas stood on the other side of his bed, silently watching the proceedings. Sam wondered how long Dean would be able to remain silent.

"Where the hell is your brother?" Dean blurt out, turning angrily towards Cas. Apparently not long at all.

"Am I my brother's keeper?" Cas asked testily.

"Well, someone needs to be," Dean muttered.

"Dean? Not helping," Sam told his brother, hoping to shut him up. He was stressed enough.

"Okay, we done with the posturing, now?" Vicki asked, untying the rubber piece she'd tied on Sam's bicep to draw blood. "Good," she responded when Dean reluctantly nodded, "pull up your shirt and unfasten your pants then lay back," Vicki ordered.

Sam went to comply wih her request but froze when he realize his pants were nearly bursting. His stomach was swollen, a gentle swell visible above his waistband.

"Well, fuck," he mumbled.

"Holy shit," Dean breathed, eyes glued to Sam's stomach.

It was like a visible reminder, physical proof to what they'd known, what they'd discussed. It made it real.

Sam sucked in enough to release the button and zip on his jeans.

"Do you have sweatpants or pajama bottoms?" Vicki asked. "They will probably be more comfortable."

Sam tried to remember where he'd last seen his sweats when Cas held out his hand, a pair of gray sweatpants materializing out of nowhere.

"Wow, bet that comes in handy," Vicki mumbled as she took the pants from Cas. "Okay, Sam, lay back and lets take a look."

Sam did as she told him, gasping slightly when she squirted cold get on his lower stomach.

"Sorry, it's kinda cold," she warned, a little belatedly. She moved the wand over his stomach and Sam couldn't look away from the small screen. When it seemed the picture was in focus, she started to speak.

"Wow... I've never... I mean... wow. It, uh, looks like the fetus is around... 19-20 weeks gestation. I can see the sex, if you want to know for sure."

Sam nodded, even though he was pretty sure it was a girl.

Vicki paused for a second before announcing the obvious.

"It's a girl! Um... I'd guess, maybe 12 inches long and... maybe eight... nine ounces. Right on track."

"How's it going to come out?" Dean spoke up, voicing the question Sam had but wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to.

"Um... good question. I think... I think the best option would probably be a Cesarian section. It's risky, but I think it may be the only option. I don't see how natural childbirth is even an option here."

Sam nodded, never looking away from the small creature moving on the screen. His daughter. His.


End file.
